Method of operating steam-valves



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NORMAN W. WHEELER, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

METHOD OF OPERATING STEAM-VALVES.

Specication of Letters Patent No. 13,869, dated July 31, 18,55.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, NORMAN IV. IVHEELER, of the city of Cincinnati and State of Ohio, have invented a new and Improved Mode of Actuating the Main Induction and Eduction Valves of Reciprocating Steam Engines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof.

The nature of my invention consists in actuating the main valves of reciprocating steam engines by means of steam pressure released from the main cylinder, by the working piston passing over appropriate ports, and operating between pistons of unequal areas, or their mechanical equivalents.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention I will proceed to describe its construction and operation, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, of which- Figure l is an elevation; F ig. 2, a sectional elevation, and Fig. 3 an end view.

Like letters refer to like parts.

I use an ordinary working cylinder with its piston B and piston-rod x.

C C is a cylindrical valve chamber with a portion of its length D D of smaller diameter t-han the remainder, and communieating with the working cylinder by the steam ways n n.

o 0 are steam passages between the receiver E and C C D D.

p p and r r are exhaust passages between C C and D D and the exhaust receiver f.

m is the induction pipe and S the exhaust p IH H H H and K K are pistons secured upon the rod t t, K K fitting into the smaller portion of the valve chamber (D D) and H H H H into the larger portions C C. The two pistons upon the ends of t t constitute the well known piston valve arrangement, and traverse over the openings n n.

g and g are steam pipes forming a steam communication between either end of the working cylinder a, and the valve chamber, within the throw of K K.

Steam pressure suciently strong to move the proper parts being admitted through m, the action of the engine is as follows: The parts being in the position represented in the drawing, steam is being admitted into the working cylinder to the left of B, in g and between the pistons of equal areas K K,

hence there is no disturbing force operating to move the valves until B shall pass over and beyond the port of g when the steam will pass through g into C D between the two pistons of unequal areas K and H to the left, whichk will move all the pistons upon t t toward the left by virtue of the greater area of Jthe piston H than that of K. This movement will continue after the piston K shall have passed over and closed the port of g and cut off the How from the working cylinder by virtue of the expansion of the steam already contained between H and K, until the piston H first to the left of K shall have passed over and beyond the exhaust passage r to the left and the steam is released through r into f. This movement will have changed the positions of the valve pistons H H at the ends of t t so that the induction and exhaustion into and out of the working cylinder is reversed, and g be brought between pistons of equal area, so that the valves will remain at rest until B has completed its return stroke and brought g from the exhaust to the steam side of the working piston. These movements being repeated secure a constant reciprocating motion of B and fr.

The momentum of the valves and rod can readily be checked upon air, steam or rubber springs. The drawings represent a check obtained by the passage of the valve pistons over 0 o, thereby confining a portion of -steam between the piston and the closed ends of C C.

I am aware that valves of steam engines have been actuated by steam pressure applied to pistons other than the main working pistons in the starting gear of the early German and English river and marine engines, and that the separate and individual parts of the engine are old and well known, and do not claim them as my invention; neither do I claim closing cut-off valves by steam pressure released from the working cylinder` through a passage opening into said cylinder near the desired point of cutting off, but

Vhat I do claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. Actuating the induction and eduction valves of any double-acting reciprocating steam engine by means of steam pressure derived from the working cylinder and released therefrom by the passage of the working piston over and beyond appropriate and stopping the supply between the same 10 pistons by the passage of the smaller one over its induction port, substantially as de- Y scribed. 4

NORMAN WV. WHEELER. [Ls] Witnesses:

J. A. STEVENS, PETER RAABE. 

